Shelf brackets

ABSTRACT

An elongated bracket arm includes a flat upper surface and an arm end wall at substantially right angles to said flat upper surface. A socket is provided in said flat upper surface spaced from the ends of the arm. The end of said socket most closely adjacent said arm end wall is on a plane which slopes downwardly and toward the plane of said arm end wall. A slot normal to the flat upper surface connects the end of the socket to the arm end wall to accommodate a fastening means extending therethrough.

United States Patent Holmgren Aug. 29, 1972 [54] SHELF BRACKETS [72] Inventor: Ephraim T. Holmgren, 11017 Camden Circle, Sun City, Ariz. 85351 22 Filed: March 17,1971

21 Appl.No.: 125,212

52 u.s.c|. ..248/235,108/108,211/90 51 Int. Cl. ..A47g 29/02 [58] Field of Search ..248/235, 243, 239, 241, 244, 248/245; 211/90, 88, 87; 108/108, 106, 107,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,574,980 4/1971 Keller ..52/36 3,580,535 5/1971 Naske.: ..248/239 Schriefer "248/243 X 8/1966 Ornstein ..248/ 243 3,118,543 l/1964 Dresdner ..21 1190 3,311,073 3/1967 Colledge 108/152 X Primary Examiner-J. Franklin Foss Attorney-Robert M. Dunning [5 7] ABSTRACT An elongated bracket arm includes a flat upper surface and an arm end wall at substantially right angles to said flat upper surface. A socket is provided in said flat upper surface spaced from the ends of the arm. The end of said socket most closely adjacent said arm end wall is, on a plane which slopes downwardly and toward the plane of said arm end wall. A slot normal to the flat upper surface connects the end of the socket to the arm end wall to accommodate a fastening means extending therethrough.

5 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures Pafented Aug. 29, 1972 3,687,410

INVENTOR EPHR/AM THOLMGREN v TTORNEY SHELF BRACKETS This invention relates to an improvement in shelf brackets and deals particularly with shelf brackets suitable for mounting on the wall of a home, office or apartment and in which the bracket adds to, rather than detracts from, the appearance of the shelf.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Various means are provided for attaching shelves to walls. For example, vertical channel shaped supports are provided with the open side of the channel toward the wall, the supports being provided with vertically spaced slots designed to accommodate fasteners which hook to the vertical support and extend laterally therefrom to support the shelf. Angular brackets are also provided having a vertical arm which is anchored SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention resides in the provision of a shelf support which comprises an arm which is a solid structure from an appearance standpoint, and which includes an upper surface which is designed to extend on a generally horizontal plane, and a vertical mounting end which is designed to extend on a substantially verfical plane at right angles to the plane of the upper surface of the bracket. The bracket comprises an elongated arm which is preferably tapered from its point of anchorage to the wall to the outer end nearest the outer end of the shelf to be supported. A socket is provided in the upper surface of the bracket spaced from the bracket ends, which socket is concealed by the shelf when the bracket is in shelf supporting position. This socket is connected to the vertical end of the bracket by means of a vertical slot which is substantially narrower than the width of the socket. An

thickness from the thickest area at the top of thebracket to the thinnest area at the base of the socket.

When the fastening means is tightened to hold the bracket in place, the fastening means engages a portion of the socket-end wall which is somewhat below the upper end of the socket, so that the bracket cannot slip downwardly relative to the supporting wall when the fastening means clamps the bracket against the wall.

A further feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a shelf bracket in which the means of securing the bracket to the wall is completely enclosed so as not to detract from the appearance of the support. When the anchoring means is secured in place by an expansion bolt or other suitable means, the bracket is securely held in place even though the wall may be made of sheet insulation or other wall forming material.

A further feature of the present invention resides in the provision of shelf bracket which comprises an elongated tapered supporting member which. is of larger cross-sectional area and its juncture with the wall, and which tapers toward the free outer end of the bracket. The fastening means for fastening the bracket to the wall is completely sealed once the shelf or other supported member is in place.

These and other objects and novel features of the invention will be more clearly and fully set forth in the following specification and claims.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the bracket as it is formed.

anchoring bolt is designed to extend through this slot,

and through a cooperable surface of the wall.

In preferred form, the anchoring-bolt is provided with an expansion nut which is secured to the bolt extending through the wall and which engages the inner concealed surface of the wall paneLThe head of the bolt is located in the socket and engages against the end wall of the socket on either side of the slot connecting the socket to the end of the wall bracket. When the shelf is supported upon the bracket, and the socket is concealed, the fastening means is completely hidden from view.

A feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a socket in the upper surface of the bracket arm and having an end wall which is in spaced relation to the right angular end of the bracket. The head of the fastening means engages against this slotted wall to hold the bracket in shelf supporting position.

} A further feature of the present invention resides in the fact that the end of the socket which is most closely adjacent to right angular end of the bracket arm is inclined in such a manner that this socket wall slopes FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the bracket when attached to a wall, showing the bracket supporting the shelf.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the shelf has been mounted thereupon.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT the bracket. The bracket end may incline slightly to I compensate for drop caused by the load. The arm 10 is normally provided with a rounded end 12 most remote from the substantially right angular end 1 1.

While, as has been said, the bracket may vary somewhat in shape due to the fact that the bracket may also vary considerably with the width of the shelf to be supported, the underside of the bracket arm A is usually rounded as indicated in FIG. 1, and the bracket may be of generally uniform cross-sectional shape for some distance from the substantially right angular side 11.,As indicated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the bracket A is usually of the same cross-section to a point 13 which is somewhat spaced from the substantially right angular end 1 1 and tapers in height as indicated by the inclined bracket before the under surface 14 to the rounded end 12 of the bracket. The length of the arm is dependent upon the width of the shelf being supported.

As indicated in the drawings, a socket 15 is provided in the upper surface of the arm, the socket 15 tapering downwardly and inwardly from its point of juncture 16 with the upper surface to a point spaced from the generally right angular end wall. From this point, the socket tapers upwardly and away from the end wall 11 as indicated in FIG. 2 by the wall 17. The socket wall 17 is connected to the end wall 11 of the bracket by a slot 19 which usually extends substantially the full depth of the socket 15. The wall 17 is shown in FIG. 2 of the drawings as inclining upwardly, and away from the end edge 11 of the bracket. This arrangement is of importance, as it not only provides a vertical adjustment for the bracket, but also prevents accidental disengagement of the bracket from the wall, due .to the fact that the fastening means cannot slide upwardly along the wall 17 of the socket, as this wall is thicker at its upper end than at its lower end.

A bolt 20 having headed end 21 extends through the slot 19, and is held in place by a washer 22 or other suitable means. The bolt 20 extends through an aperture 23 in the building wall 24 and is provided with an expandable head 25 which engages the inner surface of the wall 24. Expansion bolts of the type described are well known in the art, and require no detailed explanation. Obviously, screws, or bolts and bolt anchors may be substituted for expansion bolts.

In operation, in securing the shelf brackets A to a wall such as 24,-an aperture 23 is drilled through the wall, which aperture is of sufficient diameter'to permit the expansion bolt head 25 to be pushed therethrough, while threaded on the end of the bolt 20. Once the expansion head is inwardly of the wall 24, the arms 26 of wardly therefrom, and is capable of supporting a shelf C. The bracket thus formed is rugged and will withstand any strain which may be imposed upon the wall 24. When once in place, the bracket remains on its desired generally horizontal plane due to the incline of the socket wall 17. In other words, it is necessary to loosen the bolt 20 in order to detach the bracket.

In accordance with the Patent Ofiice Statutes, I have described the principles of construction and operation of my SHALF BRACKET, and while I endeavored to set forth the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that changes may be made within the scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. A shelf bracket including:

an elongated arm having a flat upper surface and an arm end wall which is in substantially right angular relation to the plane of the flat upper surface,

a socket in said flat upper surface terminating in a socket end which is in spaced relation to the arm end wall, which socket is spaced from the ends of said arm, and a slot of narrow dimensions relative to the width of the socket extending between the socket end of said socket which is most closely adjacent to said arm end wall and said arm end wall, said slot being generally normal to the said flat upper surface,

said socket end sloping upwardly and away from arm end wall.

2. The structure of claim 1 and in which said bracket tapers in height toward the end of said bracket opposite said arm end wall.

3. The structure of claim 1 and in which said arm wall is at an angle of slightly more than ninety degrees from said flat upper surface.

4. The structure of claim 1 and in which said socket tapers in depth from said socket end toward said flat upper surface.

5. The structure of claim 4 and in which said socket end is closer to said arm wall at its greatest depth than at its juncture with said flat upper surface. 

1. A shelf bracket including: an elongated arm having a flat upper surface and an arm end wall which is in substantially right angular relation to the plane of the flat upper surface, a socket in said flat upper surface terminating in a socket end which is in spaced relation to the arm end wall, which socket is spaced from the ends of said arm, and a slot of narrow dimensions relative to the width of the socket extending between the socket end of said socket which is most closely adjacent to said arm end wall and said arm end wall, said slot being generally normal to the said flat upper surface, said socket end sloping upwardly and away from arm end wall.
 2. The structure of claim 1 and in which said bracket tapers in height toward the end of said bracket opposite said arm end wall.
 3. The structure of claim 1 and in which said arm wall is at an angle of slightly more than ninety degrees from said flat upper surface.
 4. The structure of claim 1 and in which said socket tapers in depth from said socket end toward said flat upper surface.
 5. The structure of claim 4 and in which said socket end is closer to said arm wall at its greatest depth than at its juncture with said flat upper surface. 